Every year for the past 30 years, the Pacific Whale Foundation brings volunteers together to count whales.

The survey takes place at 12 sites along the southern shores of Maui — part of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary on the last Saturday in February, which generally coincides with the peak of the breeding and calving season.

Citizen-scientists will receive a brief training session from the Pacific Whale Foundation site leader in the morning, before starting their exciting work counting whales and observing their behaviors during timed scans.

The data is recorded and the sites counts are tallied for a final count.

The systematic counting method allows PWF to monitor changes in humpback whale sightings from year to year and provides a valuable long-term snapshot of Hawaii’s humpback whale population.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

The Ali’i Resorts blog is all about Maui vacation tips and ideas, advices for business owners and the best lodging deals booking tricks. Stay tuned with the latest island travel updates and local events!